The present invention is a garment lining system characterized by localized performance properties.
Apparel for active outdoor sports, such as snowboarding, skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and the like, has become very specialized, with special attention during the design phase and the construction of such garments aimed towards enhancing certain performance properties. In connection with a lining for such active wear, improvements in materials have led to greater thermal insulation properties and to lighter weight insulating fabrics. However, before the present invention, the performance properties of the lining were not specifically tuned to the anatomical regions of the body of the wearer of the lining. Consequently, the entire body portion of the lining may have included an enhanced performance property, such as thermal insulation, when the improved performance characteristic was only needed in a localized portion or portions of the lining to achieve the desired functionality and, indeed, may have adversely affected the climate control at other portions of the garment where it unnecessarily was provided.
The present invention is a garment lining system that is specifically configured to provide desired performance properties at predetermined anatomical locations rather than universally throughout the garment lining. Although the garment lining has specific application in outdoor activewear, such as in wintersports garments, it may be used in the lining of other types of apparel as well.
In one embodiment of the invention, the garment lining includes a fabric body having a neck opening, a first portion that is associated with the kidneys of a wearer, a second portion that is associated with the back of the wearer, a third portion that is associated with the underarms of the wearer, and a waist. At least one performance property of the lining, such as thermal insulation, breathability, moisture wicking, ventilation, and moisture resistance, is varied amongst at least two of the first, second and third portions, so that such at least one performance property is not uniform throughout the first, second and third portions. In another garment lining, at least two performance properties may be varied amongst at least two of the first, second and third portions, and in still another garment lining at least three performance properties may be varied amongst at least two of the first, second and third portions. Further, there may be variations in the at least one, two and three performance properties amongst each of the first, second and third portions.
In another embodiment of the invention, a garment lining is provided having a fabric body including a neck opening, a back portion, a front and side portion for covering at least the kidney areas of a wearer, a pair of underarm portions, and a waist. The front and side portion include an air impermeable and thermally insulative fabric, while the back portion includes a breathable and thermally insulative fabric. The underarm portions provide greater ventilation and moisture wicking than either the back or the front and side portions, while the back portion provides greater moisture and vapor removal than the front and side portion.
In another embodiment of the invention, a garment lining is provided having a fabric body that includes a neck opening, a back portion, a front and side portion for covering at least the kidney areas of a wearer, a pair of underarm portions, and a waist. At least one of the front and side portion and the back portion include a thermally insulative fabric, while the pair of underarm portions include a breathable and thermally insulative fabric that permits vapor and heat removal while still providing warmth at this body area.
In another embodiment of the invention, a garment lining includes a fabric body having various predetermined portions that are associated with particular anatomical regions of a wearer that are influenced by environmental conditions, such as the cold, more readily than other anatomical regions. The fabric body portions that are associated with the more readily influenced anatomical regions being characterized by at least one performance property, such as thermal insulation, that is greater as compared to the fabric body portions that are associated with the other anatomical regions that are not as readily influenced.
It therefore is an object of the invention to provide a garment lining that is specially configured to provide different performance properties at predetermined regions of the lining.